Foldable tread and riser for car-steps.



w. L. BEARD.

FOLDABLE TREAD AND RISER FOR CAR STEPS.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 22,.I9I L Patented'Sept. 25, 1917.

WALTER LEE BARD, OF WILBURTON, OKLAHOMA.

FOLDABLE TREAT) AND 'RISER FOR CAB-STEPS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patint-,ed Sept, 25, 191*7 A Application led lune 22, 1917. Serial No. 176,332.

of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Foldable rlread and Riser for Car- Steps; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the lower step of cars, and an object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind, in which the tread and riser thereof are foldable beneath the lower rigid step.

Another object of the invention is the provision of operating means including a rocking shaft, 'provided with gear and link connections with the tread, whereby, when said shaft is rocked by means of a handle and the action of a spring, the tread and riserof the foldable step are collapsed beneath the lower rigid step of the car.

In practical fields, the details of construction may necessitate alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features Vand combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings andv claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of one end of a car, showing the tread and the riser of a foldable step as collapsed beneath the lower rigid step, and also illustrating the means for operating such foldable parts.

Fig. 2 is also a view in elevation of a ortion of one end of the car, showing the foldable tread and riser extended into positions to be used.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the car steps, showing the foldable tread and riser extended.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a lever device for actuating the rock shaft, also showing the segment for the lever, which is attached to a portion of the car which is shown in section.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the means for operating the rock shaft, showing parts thereof in section.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates the body of a car, only a portion of which is shown, and 2 the steps thereof, which form a part of the car rigidly, and 3 denotes the side pieces 0f the steps.

Secured by screws 4 `to the outer faces of the sides 3 adjacent the lower outer portion thereof are i'shaped plates or members 5. Mounted in the arms 6 of said plates or members 5, is a suitable pivot rod 7, and secured bv screws 8 to the end edges of the riser 9 of the foldable step, are the straps 10. The pivot rod `7 extends through the upper ends of the straps 10 and through the riser 9, adi acent its upper edge, whereby said riser is pivotally mounted.

By means of the straps 10 the riser 9 isv reinforced, oarticularly where the rod v7 passes through the riser, thereby` prevent- A ing the upper edge portion of the riser from severing or otherwise becoming split or broken, incident to the strain on the riser. Secured by screws 11 to the end edges of the thread 12 of the foldable car step,- are the reinforcing straps 13. Rising upwardly from the upper edges of the straps 13, ad- Jacent their inner ends are ears or lugs V14, and through which, and the lower ends koi the straps 10, and also through the riser 9, y

is a piovt rod 15, thereby pivotally connecting the tread to the riser. it is to be observed that the straps 10 also reinforce the lower portion of the riser, in the same many ner that the upper part of the riser is reinforced. The inner ends of the straps 13 merge integrally into the links 16, which extend upwardly and inwardly substantially on an angle in parallelism with the angular disposition of therigid car steps.

Secured by any suitable means, preferably bolts 17, to the inner face of one of the uppermost risers of the rigid car steps are bearings 18, in which a rock shaft 19 is mounted. Fastened by pins 20 to the opposite ends ofthe shaft 19, are arms ork levers 21. Splined by means of a feather 22 to the central portion of the shaft 19, is an arm or lever 23, and connected to the lower end of said arm, is a spring 211, the upper end of which is connected to an eye 25 of the under face of the uppermost tread of the car steps. Also on one end of the shaft 19 is a beveled gear 26 which meshes with the beveled gear 27 on the lower end of a shaft 28, which is disposed vertically, and mounted in bearings 29 of the inner face of the vestibule dash or wall 30. Fas` tened by pins 31 on the shaft 28 one above and one below the uppermost tread of the car steps are collars 32, acting to prevent axial movement of the rockshaft 28. Made fast by means of a pin 33 to the upper end of the rock shaft 28 is a handle 34. Pivoted at 35 on the handle is a lever 36, which is under tension of the spring 37 (which is interposed between the lever 36 and the handle) in order to keep the dog` 38 (which is pivoted to the inner end of said lever 86) protruding through the handle, whereby the nose of the dog may engage either of the notches 89 and 40 to hold the handle in adjusted positions. and 40 are constructed on the segment bar 41, which is concentric with said shaft 28 and is secured at l2 to the inner face of dash 30 of the vestibule of the car. l mally the tread and the riser 12 and 9 of the foldable car step are folded beneath the lowermost rigid steps, and when such foldable parts arein such positions, the nose of the doo' engages the notch 40, and the handle is ldisposed laterally of the dash 30, as shown in Fig. 1 clearly, when collapsing the tread and the riser, the spring 24C as; sists materially, in fact, substantially automaticallyV folds said step. l/Vhen it is desired to extend the tread and riser, the outer end of the lever 36 is depressed, disengaging the nose of the dog from the notch 40,. whereupon the handle is free to be moved. vWhen the handle is moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in .Fig 2, movements are imparted to the shafts 28 and 19, the'shaft 19 rocking Aagainst the action of the springl 2a, lowers or extends the tread and the riser, by virtue of swinging the levers or arms 21. When the handle reaches the position shown in'Fig. 2, the nose of the dog is allowed to immediately engage the notch 39 thereby holding the foldable step lowered.

The invention having been set fortlnwhat is claimed as new and useful is 1. In combination with the rigid steps of a car, a tread and a riser of a car step The notches 39y Norv pivotally united, said riser having pivotal connections with the outer portion of the lowermost rigid step, whereby said tread and riser may collapse beneath the lower tional lever, and means having gear con-j nections with said rock shaft for impart` ing movement thereto to lower the tread and riser against the action of said spring.

2J In combination with a set of rigid car steps, T-shaped plates secured to the opposite sides of the lowermost rigid step, a foldable car step comprising a tread and a riser, the end edges of the riser having reinforcing metal straps, a pivot rod extending through said straps, said T-shaped plates and through the upper'edge portion of the riser, thereby pivotally uniting said parts, metallic strapsV secured to the end edges of the tread, and having their inner ends provided with upwardly extending lugs, a pivot rod extending through the lugs and the lower ends of the reinforcing straps and the lower edge portion of the riser, thereby pivotally uniting the riser and the tread, said metallic straps of thel tread merging integrallyinto inwardly and outwardly inclined links to be actuated for collapsing the tread and the riser beneath the lowermost tread of the rigid steps, and means connected to the innerv upper ends of the links for actuating the same.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

l/VALTER LEE BEARD. Witnesses C. E. lllfrnmaMs, W. WV. BOUCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of'Patents, Washington. ID. C. v 

